1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to fishing accessories and in particular to a fishing float which is translatable between fixed and slideable positions along a fishing line.
2. Description of Related Art
Fishing floats are affixed to fishing lines at a distance from the hook end of the line to permit the hook to extend a desired distance below the surface of the water to attract fish. However, when affixed to the fishing line, the fishing float becomes an impediment to reeling in the fish once it is caught. As the user reels in the line, the fishing float eventually comes in contact with the fishing pole, thereby preventing further movement of the line and limiting the practical distance the float can be positioned away from the hook. The user either has to then manually remove the fishing float from the fishing line to continue reeling in the fish, or must then manually bring in the remaining fishing line in a hand-over-hand fashion. Alternatively, user have been known to decrease the distance between the fishing float and the hook end of the fishing line in order to reduce the impediment the fishing float creates.
The prior art has not satisfactorily addressed the aforementioned problem of utilizing fishing floats. While U.S. Pat. No. 3,107,451 discloses a fishing float which is readily attachable or detachable from a fishing line, there is still the requirement that the user manually do so. Other prior art fishing floats such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos., 5,608,985, 3,514,891, 3,107,451, 3,087,275 and 2,842,886 also do not satisfactorily address this problem.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,706,869 discloses a fishing float which is releasable from a fixed to a free position, However, the device disclosed in the '869 patent has a complex internal mechanism which is subject to fouling and corrosion, and which is not easily adjustable for different releasing tensions.
Bearing in mind the problems and deficiencies of the prior art, it is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fishing float which is of simple design and which may be automatically released from a fixed position at any desired distance from the hook and be slideable along the line when a fish is caught.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a releasable fishing float in which the releasing tension is adjustable.
A further object of the invention is to provide a releasable fishing float which utilizes easily manufactured components not subject to fouling during use.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an automatically releasable fishing float which is easy to operate and has a long life.
Still other objects and advantages of the invention will in part be obvious and will in part be apparent from the specification.